Limerick artist, Des Langford, painted the image of Our Lady on to an old piece of Irish Chestnut wood. The iron work that accompanies it was sculpted by local blacksmith, Eric O’Neill.

Speaking yesterday, Archbishop Brown talked about the great affection that Pope Francis has for Ireland, where he spent time studying English in the 1970s. ‘I know he has a great love for the Irish people and a special appreciation for the Irish people’s love for the mother of God, Mary, which is very, very close to his heart.’

He also expressed his hope that a visit to Ireland by Pope Francis would one day take place. ‘It would be the biggest joy I would ever have as Apostolic Nuncio in Ireland to have the Pope visit Ireland. With God all things are possible, so we just have to see.’

Devotion to Our Lady Un-doer of Knots, who is said to help solve complicated problems, has grown in popularity since the beginning of Pope Francis’s papacy. His own devotion goes back to when he was a student in Germany in the 1980s, when he viewed the famous painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner which hangs in the church of St Peter am Barlach in Bavaria. He brought a postcard of the painting back to Argentina and later had the image engraved on a chalice that was presented to Pope Benedict XVI.